I was recently asked on Facebook about the encounter between Funakoshi Gichin and Asato Ankō. Fujiwara Ryōzō, in the book The Complete History of Japanese Martial Arts, Volume 8 (1982), says the following about this.

Asato was indeed a master of karate, but he had no intention of teaching his techniques to anyone. So, Funakoshi decided to join the Asato family as a lodger. Asato probably felt that he was only offering a four-and-a-half-tatami-mat room to a lodger. An elementary school teacher was a respectable salaried worker in those days. Moreover, Asato must have thought that he could make up for the lack of living expenses by letting a reliable lodger live in his residence, since Asato had been left without an income since the Shō royal family's demise. If so, a 21-year-old single teacher would be a perfect customer. However, as soon as Funakoshi became a lodger, he did not want to miss a great opportunity and seduced the 64-year-old Asato, finally getting him to agree to teach karate. (p. 151)

*The expression "four-and-a-half-tatami-mat room" is also used to mean a small room.

According to Funakoshi Sensei's own account in his books, he began playing with Asato's eldest son as a child, which led him to study karate with Asato. However, according to the above, Funakoshi Sensei did not study with Asato until he became an elementary school teacher. Fujiwara explains that the period was two years from 1891.

As Asato's master Matsumura passed away in 1890, so we know that it was the following year that Funakoshi lodged with the Asato family.

(Omitted). Funakoshi stayed with the Asato family for about two years. The reason he moved out of Asato's residence was because he decided to get married. By the way, Funakoshi's second son Gigō was born in 1906, the year of Asato's passing. (pp. 151, 152)

As previously mentioned, Asato accompanied former King Shō Tai to Tokyo on May 27, 1879, where he served as a steward for 13 years. The year of Asato's return would then be 1892. The above figure of 1891 is close to this.

Funakoshi Sensei learned Kūsankū while studying under Asato.

Asato really grasped Funakoshi's temperament and never demanded anything more than repetitive practice of the kata of Kōshōkun. Asato's teaching policy was that if Funakoshi mastered Kōshōkun completely, he would automatically acquire the other kata. In later years, karate masters in Naha would coldly comment that Funakoshi knew no other kata than Kōshōkun. …… (p. 152)

Fujiwara does not say who gave him this information or where it came from. However, Gima Shinkin, who demonstrated with Funakoshi Sensei at the Kōdōkan [of judō], testified that Funakoshi Sensei learned Kūsankū from Asato, so Gima may have been the source of this information.

Gima: Master Funakoshi's karate training was to practice Kūshankū under Asato Ankō, a senior disciple of Matsumura Sōkon, but he was not familiar with Naihanchi. (Note)

Funakoshi Sensei's Naihanchi differs from Itosu's Naihanchi in several ways. It is more like Naihanchi of Motobu and Yabu, who were influenced by Matsumura Sōkon. Therefore, it is surprising that it was not taught by Asato, but Kūsankū is directly from Asato. This makes the kata of Funakoshi Sensei important in understanding Kūsankū of koryū (old style) Shuri-te before Itosu's modification.

Fujiwara also writes that Asato "stayed at home after the Shō royal family's demise, and was completely disconnected from the world of the martial arts." This suggests that he was unaware of the fact that Asato served as steward of the Shō family in Tokyo.

If Fujiwara's source was Gima, did Gima hear this directly from Funakoshi Sensei? The Gima family was a prominent family with a famous ancestor (Gima Shinjō), so he may have heard it from another source, such as a relative, etc. In any case, the above is valuable testimony, since few people have mentioned the source of Funakoshi Sensei's kata.

Note: Gima Shinkin, Fujiwara Ryōzō, Dialogue: Talking about the History of Modern Karate-dō, Baseball Magazin Publishers, 1986, p. 118.

The original English translation was posted on the Ameba blog on April 23, 2022.

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